How far would you go for work? I personally commute 2 hours each way to work, when I take the train. Jayne and I have rental property in Myrtle Beach, SC, so we drive 7 hours for that work.
How far would you go for love? I have gone all over the United States with my wife, but wait I believe that she has followed me for my job. I guess you would have to ask her how far I have gone for her.
How far would you go to save on gas? How many of you drive out of your way to save a few pennies on gas? I refuse to drive even a few miles out of my way to save 2 cents on a gallon of gas, but I will delay getting gas if I know I am going to be close to a gas station that offers savings.
How about your road in your life? Do you follow Jesus? How far would you go to follow Jesus? What does it mean to follow Jesus today?
Is Christianity a set of beliefs, or is it a way of life? If it is a way of life, what kind of life? Is it delineated by clearly drawn moral rules, or is it a compassionate response to the situations that confront us?
What does a life of faith that is honest to Jesus, look like?
I know lots of questions, but what are your answers? Here’s what the Bible says about following:
Matthew 4:18-20 Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.
Simon and Andrew didn’t even question him as to who he was, why, where we going, and for how long. The just simply dropped their nets and followed.
Again, in Matthew 4:21-22 A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee's sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.
Even James and John followed with hesitation. These men knew nothing of Jesus at the time. Lots of people believe in Jesus. They worship and adore him. They praise his name. They invite him into their hearts and accept him as their Lord and Savior. But not many people are willing to follow him.
Would you have just dropped everything and followed Jesus. Are you willing to do that now?
I know of one family that has done that. Resigned their commission with the US Army as a JAG Officer, took his wife, and small children to serve the Lord in Cambodia. See their adventure here:
But I asked earlier, what does it mean to follow Jesus today? It all starts with believing in Him. Then it requires getting to know Him, by reading the Bible, and spending time in communication with Him through prayer.
This is not something that can be done for a certain period of time, it is a lifelong process. It involves much more than worship attendance, bible study, or service on a church board. Admittedly, those can be important parts of a Christian life. But they are merely food for the journey, not the journey itself. Hopefully they provide nourishment, not a detour.
Discipleship should result in people who lead a radically different type of life, who are counter-cultural, who are markedly different from the rest of the world.
Jesus calls us to transform the world. He calls us to spend our lives in the service of the least, the lost and the lonely. That kind of life goes way beyond serving in a local congregation.
Matthew 5:13-16 “Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
How far will you go to follow the Lord?
No comments:
Post a Comment